1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus and a method therefor, and more particularly to a network capable of communication of information signal, such as digitized image or audio, and control signal in a mixed manner.
2. Related Background Art
Electronic devices capable of handing image and audio as digital information have been recently developed. A network capable bidirectional communicational can thus be constructed by connecting such electronic devices through a common digital interface.
In such network, digital information outputted from a device may be relayed by other devices, whereby same digital information can be transmitted to all the devices present on the network. Stated differently, any device can broadcast the desired digital information onto the network.
The digital information (image, audio, text, graphics etc.) broadcast on the network can ordinarily be received by all the devices present on the network. For example, if a recording device such as a digital audio cassette recorder is present on the network, such recording device can receive and record the broadcast digital information.
On the other hand, the digitized information normally has a feature of being almost free from deterioration in transmission or in recording. Also the digital information once recorded has a feature of being almost free from deterioration even after repeated reproduction. Owing to these features, the user who has copied the original data can always enjoy the copied data of a quality comparable to that of the original data, without any deterioration.
Consequently, the reception and recording of the digital information broadcast on the network by a recording device connected to the above-described network may harm the copyright of the digital information. Besides, the digital information recorded by the above-described recording device may be further copied and redistributed to other users, thus significantly harming the copyright of the information.
An object of the present invention is to solve the above-described problems.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a communication apparatus and a method therefor adapted, in a network for broadcasting digital data, to limit the recording of digital data for which copying is inhibited or limited.
As a preferred embodiment for such objects, the present invention discloses a communication apparatus comprising a detection unit for detecting whether a copying of digital information is limited; a communication unit for broadcasting the digital information to an external network; and a control unit for controlling the recording function of a recording device connected to the network, based on a result of detection by the detection unit.
As another embodiment, the present invention discloses a communication apparatus comprising a detection unit for detecting whether a copying of digital information is limited; a communication unit for broadcasting the digital information to an external network; and a control unit for controlling the communicating function of a recording device connected to the network, based on a result of detection by the detection unit.
As still another embodiment, the present invention discloses a communication apparatus comprising a detection unit for detecting whether a copying of digital information is limited; a generation unit for generating a command inhibiting a recording of the digital information; and a communication unit for broadcasting the digital information to an external network; wherein the communication unit transmits the digital information and the command on time shared basis to the network.
As still another embodiment, the present invention discloses a communication apparatus comprising a communication unit accommodating isochronous transfer and asynchronous transfer and adapted to broadcast digital information; a detection unit for detecting whether a recording device is present on a network connected through the communication unit; and a control unit for controlling the communication unit based on a result of detection by the detection unit.
As still another embodiment, the present invention discloses a communication apparatus comprising a detection unit for detecting whether a copying of digital information is limited; a communication unit for broadcasting the digital information to an external network; a control unit for effecting control in such a manner that the communication does not broadcast the digital information, based on a result of detection by the detection unit; and a display unit for effecting display based on a result of control by the control unit.
Furthermore, as a preferred embodiment for such objects, the present invention discloses a communication method comprising a detection step of detecting whether the copying of digital information is limited; a communication step of broadcasting digital information to an external network; and a control step of controlling the recording function of a recording device connected to the network, based on a result of detection by the detection step.
As another embodiment, the present invention discloses a communication method comprising a detection step of detecting whether the copying of digital information is limited; a communication step of broadcasting the digital information to an external network; and a control step of controlling a communicating function of a recording device connected to the network, based on a result of detection by the detection step.
As still another embodiment, the present invention discloses a communication method comprising a detecting whether the copying of digital information is limited; generating a command for inhibiting a recording of digital information; and a transmitting the digital information and the command based on time shared basis; wherein the digital information is broadcasted to an external network.
As still another embodiment, the present invention discloses a communication method comprising a communication step of accommodating isochronous transfer and asynchronous transfer and broadcasting digital information; a detection step of detecting whether a recording device is present on a network connected by the communication step; and a control step of controlling the communication means based on a result of detection by the detection step.
As still another embodiment, the present invention discloses a communication method comprising a detection step of detecting whether a copying of digital information is limited; a communication step of broadcasting the digital information to an external network; a control step of effecting control in such a manner that the communication unit does not broadcast the digital information, based on a result of detection by the detection step; and a display step of effecting display based on a result of control by the control step.
Still other objects of the present invention, and the advantages thereof, will become fully apparent from the following detailed description of the embodiments.